


Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

by Whilhelmina_Prince



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11068515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whilhelmina_Prince/pseuds/Whilhelmina_Prince
Summary: Rhett and Link take the boys on a camping trip, and Rhett finds himself wishing for a different life





	Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

“And then they _ cut her heart out! _ ” 

The four boys collapsed into helpless giggles around the roaring fire as Shepherd finished his ghost story. Lincoln buried his face in Locke’s shoulder, while Locke’s roaring laugh echoed through the trees. Lando, the youngest of them, cackled the longest. 

Rhett laughed along with them as Link sat cross-legged on the ground next to him, a short distance away from the fire, resting back on his hands and gazing up at the sky.

“Your kid is weird,” Link said, still watching the stars. 

“Yeah, he is,” Rhett answered. “So what?”

“So nothing. He just is.”

“That bad?”

“Nope.”

Rhett smiled. Link was weird, too. That’s why he was his best friend. 

Rhett watched as the boys started a new game, this time passing the flashlight around, each child adding just one sentence to the story and continuing on and on. Watching them made him wish they could always be together like that. He imagined them in two sets of bunk beds in one room, staying up late, giggling until past midnight, trying and failing to sneak snacks upstairs, because Lily would, of course, catch them. 

“You okay?” Link asked, finally turning to look at Rhett.

Rhett realized a tear was rolling down his cheek. “Yeah,” he said, wiping it away. “Just smoke in my eyes.”

“Uh-huh,” Link said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, you let me know when you wanna talk about it.”

Rhett nodded.

“Mind if I lie down?”

Link didn’t reply, but patted his leg. Rhett laid on his side, letting his head rest on Link’s thigh, his legs stretched out to the side. Link stroked Rhett’s hair, long fingers massaging his scalp.

Rhett listened to the fire crackling and the boys laughing. He listened to the crickets and watched the leaves gently falling from above. He closed his eyes and let everything fall away except the gently brushing of fingertips through his hair.

“Sometimes I wish they were our kids,” he finally said, just above a whisper.

After a long silence, Link replied. “I know.”

Another tear fell. 

“But we agreed,” Link added, his voice quiet.

“Yeah. I know.”

Rhett watched as Lando and Shepherd started to yawn. “We should get them settled. It’s late.” He sat up, wiping his face again, and moved to stand. 

Link reached up and tugged on Rhett’s shirt. “Wait. Why don’t you … why don’t you sleep in my tent tonight? The boys will love huddling up together without us there to police them all night.”

Rhett sat back down, facing Link. “But you said ..”

“I know what I said,” Link said sharply. He sighed and started again, softer this time. “I know what I said. I just want to spend some time with you. Just you.”

Rhett smiled. “Yeah. Okay. We can do that.”

“And maybe … “

Link hesitated, the words getting stuck somewhere between his heart and his mouth. 

“Maybe what?”

“Maybe we talk some more. Maybe … maybe there’s a way for this to work. A way for  _ us  _ to work.”

Rhett felt his heart skip. “You sure you wanna go down that rabbit hole?”

Link reached for Rhett’s hand. “It’s breaking my heart not to.”

Rhett brought Link’s hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to his palm. “Then let’s talk. All night if we have to.”

He stood and helped Link to his feet, pulling him close. “You sure?” Rhett asked.

Link nodded, and Rhett kissed his forehead. “I love you, Link Neal. No matter what happens.”

It was Link’s turn to cry as he nodded again and again. 

They herded the boys, their boys, into one tent and finally disappeared into the other, hearts fluttering with excitement and fear, as they began, with hope, to plan their future.


End file.
